Plant-root puller



2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR, ERLNK/MN.

E. R. sLlNKMAN PLANT ROOT FULLER April 14, 1953 Flled Nov 9, 1946 E. R. SLINKMAN PLANT ROOT FULLER April 14, 1953 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 A INVENToR, BY ERSLINKMAM File@ Nov. 9, 1946 Patented Apr. 14, 17953 vide-arr:improved sprich that? will lnotavpack. the: 15*

ground around a spudded cavity in whichmai; plautis ,to'rbe transplanted;r andi Wh-ichfwill-f ej ect dirtfintofthe cavityy {after} the-=plane root :is Nplaced@` therein:

Afurtherfobjectris,tofqarovide a-.devicef 'of.zthisf. character that. is ftho'ro-ug-hly practical i and eas-,5; ily. op'eratedcbyfanyspersonf ofA Sordi-nary;abil-ity without un'du'ly- "stooping, fandn whichithere; are coaoperativelfhandoperating 'andfnfoot-operatingf elements that "render: fthgerf device veasilyfoperf:

ated. f

Otherl obj eicts ando important. features?` are pointediout :andarimpliedln the4 allowing --,de-.-e tails'f'fof-:'de'seriptiohf iin" connectionffzwith :the acl-c companyingr. drawingsiriwhich :1:

Figure .1 is afviievv.I inisideeelevationpintermefi diatefsparts iofflthelmaixrsbodyxandplungembek iugorokerrout'f.

Figi/'21mmfragmentalisectioit:detaizassemolys; oifth'elupperierrdeportion ft'thesdeviceishownsina; Figi;- 1J i viewed; ata right c angles ftoatthe lines.' offf visionl'otlig. '1v-L.

Figi? VVV@view 'in'.:sidecelevatiomr ofe'aemodisd Fform ofi: .thisv inventionf; parts'mf thecibodv handle::and:1plungerrbeiliggbrolrerrzavi/ayev parts at'ilef Abeing ein'zvertical section.

Fi '5' isfan enlargediisectional viewfztakenaalong. theoline 5-5'fof21igzz4t- ,l

Fig. 6 isi'a central verticalasectionalavievv :alfongi liners-2 6 oFi'gLz..

Reer-'ringdi tl'esee drawings; in :detai'hirr which similarreference:charactersrefer; tsimilan pants in the several views, the invention is described' ir'n'detail:asffollows Y a. ltubulanghandle-barg -ftted lamer-ein;w v. The han- A- dle-.barefwisl apertured at 8a vtzoprcwide Aa bean" ing-for .-therfplungererod `9 -to vslidedm andthe plunger-rod:- is; unitedevvith..- a {plunger-head 9dr and a rplungerr-footfba AfhelicalA 'compression-,-` spring f surrounds fthe. uppezzzfendpf the...rodA i) 1; andd'1as:;itsupper end .undeiaa rwashernl if Iwhich is'ifsag-ainst. the-.head` liawlvvhileitsv flower. vend is seatedfon .the handle-banWithin thempper `end `offtheemain bodyfg 1... Thelplungerdootj Sb I, is

normallyvheld up .againstna .shoulder v,16; as', in;

FigSrl-l, 3 rand-6, at,.positio"nashown in 1,".105' o co-operation of the elements 1,'8,'9'IO',' I l", and' la/,varidnis.slidealoleAto.l the lower tend-portionv 'of' the, ground:piercingn endf-fportion'` Tdi The ground-piercing `portion?!c! falso includes' a serv rated edge Jdsg. and.Janinwardly'jturned"guide:l flange .ldg; andA ,theufobt 912i Vis "recessedat '91 to receive. .thisiialnge Jdg'land islide" .therealo'ng- The angeidgfis. provided Vwith any 1'appropri= ateanumber of dual-purpose teethddt'mtofcut orybrealalateral. roots .that are not` reached 'by the:)teethforserrations Idsgandto' clean out` the operatorfandupward r.pressure by spring I il. The 1 mai-n-lpurposeof thisange: ldd visA to carry With" thereby twisting and loosening anyLpart ofthe plant-,root f that? irlASLyAL-loe` belowfzthe...lo`wer; end4 ofi thefdevice. fr

The -.-1oWerz.-extremity 7onlthe device is oblique` asnf'sseen' iat., 10,-. and terminates in the acute enteringA point ldp,;enablingitl 'to'. be forced .into hardpground :withcomparative .ease;but Vtomalre. it; asien; Ya laterallyf extending i tread-element: I Z -is'provided tozreceivevaefootg ofthe user. forexerting fdownward upressure'rrtof-.cooperate with l pressure of the users hands on the handleon handlelmembemr 8 .fon 1^ distributing-i the f users weighuandrstrengfth .-.on fthesmleviceif.

In: the Yfz-rrfodiiiedf yform fici'` '.iFg/S; 4 zand: ,5,l. parts-B havingssim-ilar; functions-.andi a slightlyt ,different shapesffhavesame'-referencefchara'cters,with only aetterfa: added-.gg .Theemainfbodylcomprisesptubuw handleE-fmemben and united with `part 1mm. .by spot-welding lam;ivhielnalsapplies.to, thesevn. eralzspot'fwelds showneTubularssections lx and. 'liareunited-ibyf, a wooden shank ,l o, any. appropriate. iength, the;Qloweniandauppere. ends' -iofzathisshankidoeingaittanhand;securedv .inifth'e lower and upper ends of parts 1x and 1ra: respectively. A bracket is welded on the tubular part la: and comprises an upper bearing-arm I3, a lower bearing-arm I3a and an intermediate part |317. Each bearing-arm has a bearing-aperture |3c therethrough; and the plungerrod 9a: is slidingly seated therein, and has its upper end provided with a plunger-head Sanc; its lower end being formed with an L-bend 9| that is welded to the foot Sbx. Ai washer or collar I la: is united with the rod 9x against which the upper end of compression-spring |03: is seated while the lower end of this spring is seated on a similar washer Ila: through which the rod 9:1: is slideable, as through the openings |3c.

The operation of both forms of this invention is substantially the same, as follows:v

The device may be rst held in a slightly inclined or oblique position and moved so the stalk of the plant passes between serrated and inturned edges 1s and Tdg; then, when the point 'ldp begins to enter the ground, the device is straightened up to near vertical position while the part 1d is being pressed farther into the ground; then when it is sufficiently pressed in, the handle-member is turned once-around, contra-clockwise, then raised from the ground; and next, the handle-member is held with one hand while the other hand is placed on the head 9a or Sax and pressed down for causing the rod 9 or 9x to slide the foot or ejector 9b or Sb to its lowermost posiiton, thereby ejecting the raised dirt and plant-root.

I have no intention to limit my patent protection to the precise detail of construction and arrangement as described in the foregoing and as shown in the drawings, for this invention is susceptible of numerous changes within thescope of the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

My invention is claimed as follows:

l. In a root-puller, a main body that is substantially tubular and includes a ground-piercing end-portion provided with a normally upright serrated edge and an oblique lower end which latter terminates in an acute entering point, in combination with means to force the ground-piercing portion into the ground that is around a plant-root and to impart rotary and upward movements thereto for causing the serrated portion to sever lateral plant-roots and assist in raising the main plant-root with dirt that surrounds the latter, and ejecting means including a plunger-foot that is slideable in said ground-piercing portion to eject said root and dirt, the interior of said ground-piercing portion being provided with a ground-engaging iiange in spaced substantially parallel relation to said serrated edge for causing the dirt around said plant-root to rotate with said ground-piercing portion and thereby cause said dirt to assist in twisting and pulling the plant-root out of the ground.

2. In a root-puller, a main body that is substantially tubular and includes a ground-piercing end-portion that is provided with a normally upright serrated edge and an oblique lower end which latter terminates in an acute point, in combination with means to force the groundpiercing portion into the ground that is around a plant-root and to impart rotary and upward movements thereto for causing the serrated portion to sever lateral plant-roots and assist in raising the main plant-root with the dirt that surrounds the latter, and ejecting means including a plunger-foot that is slidable in said 4 ground-piercing portion to eject said root and dirt, the interior of said ground-piercing portion being provided with a ground-engaging flange in spaced substantially parallel relation to said serrated edge for causing the dirt around said plant-root to rotate with said ground-piercing portion and thereby cause said dirt to assist in twisting and pulling the plant-root out of the ground, said plunger-foot having a notch to receive said iiange and slide therealong, said ange being provided with at least one tooth for dislodging dirt from said notch, thereby to facilitate easy operation of said root-puller.

3. A root-puller that includes a substantially tubular main body that has a tubular groundpiercing portion adapted to be pushed into the ground around a plant-root and raised and thereby to lift the plant-root and the surrounding dirt, in combination with an ejector that includes .a plunger-rod which has a portion within said tubular body and a portion extending upward from within the latter, the upper part of said tubular body having openings in its opposite sides, a handle-bar having a bearing through its middle portion and being seated in said openings with its bearing between said openings, said plunger-rod being seated in said bearing so as to be slideable therein to secure said handlebar in its seat.

4. The combination defined by claim 3, a4' plunger-head secured on the upper end of said plunger-rod, and a Spring compressed between said head and said handle-bar and adapted to yield for permitting said ejector to be lowered and for raising said ejector to its uppermost position.

5. In the combination dened by claim 3, said handle-bar being united with the upper endportion of said main body and projecting laterally therefrom for convenient manipulation in turning said main body while pressing down on same, and a tread-element on and near the lower end of said main body to receive downward pressure from a foot of the user to (zo-operate with said handle-bar for pushing said ground-piercing portion into the ground.

6. A plant-root-puller comprising an integral body that includes a tubular main upper portion and a substantially tubular ground-piercing lower end-portion, means on said main upper portion to enable a user to push said groundpiercing portion into the ground and to raise it from the ground with dirt therein, an ejector or plunger-foot slideably seated in said groundpiercing portion and against all inner sides thereof and operable to eject said dirt from said ground-piercing portion, an upper bearing and a lower bearing united with the exterior of said tubular main portion, a plunger-rod slideably seated in and extending through said upper bearing and lower bearing and having its lower end connected to said ejector-foot and having its upper end in convenient position to be pushed down for lowering said ejector-foot, and a spring around said plunger-rod and having its upper end connected to the latter while its lower end is seated on said lower bearing for co-operation in raising said ejector-foot to the upper end of said ground-piercing portion.

7. In a plant-root puller, the combination of a main body that includes a substantially tubular portion whose lower extremity is sharp and open and adapted to be pushed into the ground for'receiving a plant-root and thedirt that sur-- rounds the plant-root thereinto, said substantially tubular portion having therein a. groundengaging flange extending along its inner surface to prevent rotation of said root and dirt relative to the tubular portion, means on said tubular portion to receive and transmit force from a user for pushing the tubular portion into the ground, and means united with said tubular portion to eject said, plant-root and dirt from said tubular portion when the latter is retracted from the ground. f5

EDWARD R. SLINKMAN.

References cited in the fue of this patent UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTs Number Date 565,745 Harris'.; Aug. 11, 1896 Number 10 Number Name Date Overbey Aug. 24, 1897 Jaynes Sept. 6, 1910 Day Dec. 22, 1914 Burns Feb. 1, 1916 Croasdale, Jr. et al. Mar. 27, 1934 Smith Feb. 11, 1936 Peterson May 12, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 30, 1928 

